Apple introduced the new iPhone 15 series at its September event. The Pro models get a new design, more power and are even cheaper!
The numerous leaks revealed practically everything about the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max in advance. Nevertheless, it is interesting what Apple is focusing on when introducing it. The company particularly emphasized the new titanium housing, the camera and the graphics performance. TECHBOOK summarizes all innovations.
Finally USB-C!
As predicted in advance, only the Pro models of the iPhone 15 actually come with the faster USB-C port. iPhone 15 and 15 Plus only support USB 2.0 at 480 megabits per second – just as slow as the previous Lightning port.
According to Apple, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, come with USB 3 and thus with up to 10 gigabits per second. This corresponds to the USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 standard (USB 3.1 according to the old notation) and is therefore up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0.
New design in titanium case
For the first time since the iPhone X in 2017, Apple is using a new material for the housing of its Pro models: titanium. Or at least an alloy with a subframe made from 100 percent recycled aluminum. The mix not only makes the new Pros lighter, but also more durable. At 221 grams, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is a full 20 grams lighter than its predecessor – not bad.
Also read: iPhone 15 is official! This is what Apple’s new basic models offer
Changed color variants and matte finish
Every year, Apple slightly adjusts the colors of new iPhones to differentiate them from their predecessors. The company has maintained this strategy with the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.
The Pro models traditionally have cooler and paler colors. Apple took the new titanium casing as an opportunity to make the colors even more “professional”. Instead of dark purple and gold, the Pro models get dark titanium blue and natural titanium color as options. Only white and black remain as color variants. Another change in contrast to previous iPhone Pro models with stainless steel frames: the surface is no longer shiny, but has a brushed finish – visually much more appealing.
Apple ships all iPhone 15 models with a charging cable that matches the color of the iPhone. This is a departure from 15 years of tradition of only delivering white charging cables with the iPhone. However, the new cables are not only colorful, but also more durable thanks to a braided jacket. The included Lightning cables in particular were known to often develop cracks after a short period of use.
Also read: Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes with some improvements
The mute switch gives way to the action button
Since the first generation in 2007, the iPhone has had a unique selling point: a mute switch that can be used to quickly and easily silence the device. However, in the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, the physical switch gives way to a capacitive action button. Users can freely assign functions to this – similar to the Apple Watch Ultra.
As before, a long press switches between ringing and mute. However, a short press can be assigned voice recording, camera access and shortcuts. You can use the shortcuts to start your own processes or apps.
Similar to the home button in the iPhone SE and older models, the new button cannot actually be pressed. Instead, a sensor detects when the button is being used intentionally. The Taptic Engine then responds with a vibration pattern that makes the input appear like a “click” to the user.
I will miss the mute switch
“While I love the mute switch in the iPhone, I can understand Apple wanting to take the next step in iPhone evolution and rely on capacitive buttons instead of physical buttons. The absence of moving parts makes it much easier to waterproof the iPhone and also prevents the accumulation of dirt and dust. Still, I’ll miss the handy switch – because even if Apple comes up with a neat trick to make the new button seem like the “real thing,” nothing comes close to the satisfying click of the switch clicking into place.” – Adrian Mühlroth, editor
The camera system in the iPhone 15 Pro
With the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple has increased the resolution of the main rear camera from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels for the first time since 2014. The same camera migrates unchanged to the successor. The same applies to the ultra-wide-angle and telephoto lenses, both with 12 megapixels, whose sensors remain practically the same. Only a new nano-coating on the lenses is intended to prevent scattered light.
The rest of the changes in the camera department are almost entirely due to the more capable A17 Pro chip. A revised Photonic Engine – Apple’s fancy name for a software solution – ensures better lighting in portrait photos and night shots. And after all, portrait night shots also exist.
Apple also now offers another standard resolution: 24 megapixels. Together with 12 MP and 48 MP, users can then choose from three focal lengths with the main camera: 24 mm, 28 mm and 35 mm.
Only Pro Max with new camera
Apart from software solutions, there is only one big change – and this only affects the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Because it has more space inside, Apple was able to use a periscope camera with a penta prism for the first time that reflects light four times, before it hits the sensor. This means that the lens achieves a focal length of 120 mm – this is otherwise only possible with large camera lenses.
The new telephoto camera has a resolution of 12 MP and optically magnifies five times. To take advantage of the higher zoom, Apple has increased the size of the sensor by 25 percent compared to the 14 Pro Max. The sensor stabilization has also been improved accordingly.
New video capabilities
The Pro models of the iPhone 15 can now record videos in ProRes format in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (FPS). Thanks to the faster USB-C port, users can even stream videos directly to a Mac while recording. For color editing, the Pro models are also the first smartphones to support the ACES standard – short for “Academy Color Encoding System”.
So that we don’t forget Apple’s virtual reality headset, the company reminds us of it again. The iPhone 15 Pro can record “spatial video” – i.e. 3D videos. The smartphone films with two cameras at the same time to collect depth information. The videos can then be viewed in 3D on the Vision Pro.
Also interesting: Apple Watch 9 can be controlled without touching it
Equipment and new chip
As was the case last year, Apple is only equipping the Pro models with the new A17 Pro. This is the first chip to be manufactured using the new 3-nanometer process from the Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSCM. Thanks to the more efficient chip architecture, the A17 Pro is not only faster, but also uses less power than its predecessor.
The graphics unit in particular makes a leap forward. It is said to be up to 20 percent faster and offers support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing for the first time in an iPhone. The technology enables more realistic lighting effects in games and is more familiar from gaming graphics cards. However, ray tracing in smartphones is not entirely new – competitor Qualcomm already supports it with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
As is typical for Apple, the rest of the chip is a little faster than its predecessor – and is therefore so far ahead of the competition that the company doesn’t even feel compelled to compare it with other products. The CPU has two performance cores that are ten percent faster and four efficiency cores.
iPhone 15 pricing and availability
It is pleasing that Apple has reduced the starting price for the Pro models of the iPhone 15. The iPhone 15 Pro now starts 100 euros cheaper at 1199 euros for the 128 GB version. The 15 Pro Max starts at 1,449 euros as before – but there is now twice as much storage at 256 GB. Here is an overview of the prices:
iPhone 15 Pro
- 128 GB: 1199 euros
- 265 GB: 1329 euros
- 512 GB: 1579 euros
- 1TB: 1829 euros
iPhone 15 Pro Max
- 265 GB: 1449 euros
- 512 GB: 1699 euros
- 1TB: 1949 euros
iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max can be pre-ordered from Friday, September 15th. Delivery will begin a week later, on September 22nd.